This cinnamon swirl quick bread is the perfect treat to enjoy any time!
The thick cinnamon sugar swirl in the middle is my favorite part. It’s like having a cinnamon roll baked right into the tender vanilla bread.
This recipe is so easy, I can practically make it with my eyes closed at this point.
I love slicing it while it's still a bit warm, so the cinnamon aroma fills the house. Add a pat of butter, and I'm in pure bliss!
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Why You'll Love This Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
Irresistible Aroma: The warm, spicy scent of cinnamon fills your kitchen as this bread bakes. It’s the best!
Easy Recipe: This quick bread is simple to make, requiring just a few basic ingredients and minimal prep time.
Crowd-Pleaser: The classic combination of sweet, tender bread and gooey cinnamon swirl will delight family and friends.
Customizable Flavor: Experiment with adding chopped nuts, raisins, or even a drizzle of cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: The foundation of the batter, providing structure and texture.
- Baking Soda: It helps the bread rise and creates a tender crumb.
- Salt: To enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter: It adds richness and moisture for a soft, tender texture.
- Granulated Sugar & Light Brown Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the batter, and brown sugar adds caramel notes.
- Large Eggs: They act as a binding agent.
- Vanilla Extract: It enhances the overall flavor with its warm, sweet aroma.
- Buttermilk: It creates a moist, tender crumb.
- Ground Cinnamon: The signature spice infuses the bread with a warm, sweet flavor.
How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
Making this bread couldn’t be easier!
1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
2. MIX DRY. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
3. CREAM. In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
4. COMBINE Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated.
5. CINNAMON SWIRL. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. LAYER. Pour half of the batter into the loaf pan and sprinkle evenly with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top, then sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
7. BAKE. Swirl the batter a few times to create a marbled effect. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. SERVE. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Slice and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
- Keep things even. The key to a perfect swirl is to first evenly divide the batter so there isn't too much on the bottom. Otherwise, the swirl layer can almost disappear into the top of the bread.
- Room temperature is key. You get the best results if you pull out your eggs, butter, and milk ahead of time and let them come to room temperature before mixing the batter.
- Try a stick-free trick. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper so you'll be able to lift the bread out easily. This prevents losing some of the crust when turning it out of the pan.
- Don’t overdo it! Just stir the batter until combined, like you would for muffins. Over-stirring will make the bread dense.
- Give it an egg bath. Brush the dough with egg white before adding the cinnamon-sugar layer to help prevent gaps from forming between the dough and the cinnamon swirl.
- Poke holes in the top. Use a toothpick or thin skewer to poke a few holes in the top of the risen loaf right before baking. This helps steam escape and prevent gaps in the swirl.
- Have fun with the flavors. For extra flavor and texture, add chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts, raisins, or chocolate chips to the cinnamon-sugar swirl. You can also experiment with different spices like nutmeg or cardamom.
How to Store
Here’s how to keep your bread fresh for days.
To Store: Wrap the cooled bread tightly in plastic wrap or place in an air-tight container and store at room temperature for up to 5 days. For extra moisture, store in the refrigerator overnight after wrapping in plastic wrap.
To Freeze: Wrap the cooled loaf tightly in a layer of plastic wrap. Cover with a layer of aluminum foil or place in a freezer-safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator before serving.
To Reheat: Reheat individual slices of bread in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or in a toaster oven or preheated oven at 325°F until warmed through. You can also heat the entire loaf in a loaf pan in the oven for a few minutes.
More Quick Breads You Have to Try
Starbucks Lemon Loaf
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Double Chocolate Banana Bread
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Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread
8
servings15
minutes1
hour348
kcalThis cinnamon swirl quick bread is the perfect anytime treat! With hints of vanilla and warm cinnamon, it's a classic flavor combo no one can resist.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating between the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle evenly with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour the remaining batter on top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon sugar.
- Using a butter knife, swirl the batter a few times to create a marbled effect. Don't overmix.
- Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
13 Comments
This was really easy to make and very delicious! I made it for my elementary age Sunday school class, and they loved it.
Made this last night for my family and they turned out pretty good. I baked them for 60 minutes and it was a bit dry, so I would definitely recommend 50 minutes instead. It had a very nice crumble, and looked beautiful as well!
The recipe does not mention when to add the butter, but I just added it to the egg and sugar mixture.
Hi, Christy!
Thanks for the tip on the time. We may need to adjust that.
As for butter, you added it exactly at the right time! 🙂
You’ll find it in step 3 in the recipe: “In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla.”
In your tips you mention sour cream along with eggs and milk at room temperature but I don’t see it listed in the recipe. Did I miss it?
You didn’t, Martha!
That should have said “eggs, butter, and milk.” I’ve adjusted the tip. 🙂 Thanks for catching it.
Thank you, Claire. I will be baking this weekend. Will let you know the results.
For those who need to watch there sugar in take, can you substitute applesauce for sugar in this recipe?
Hi Cheryl!
I’ve never tried it but I don’t see why not.
Use an equal amount of applesauce in place of the 1 cup granulated sugar.
Cream the softened butter until smooth, scrape the bowl then add the applesauce and blend together before adding the eggs.
Since applesauce adds more liquid, reduce the buttermilk to compensate.
For this recipe, reduce the buttermilk by about 1/4 cup.
The step right now is as follows:
With the mixer on low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating between the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour. Mix just until incorporated.
For the applesauce recipe, I suggest mixing in half of the flour, followed by 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Mix in the rest of the flour, then check the consistency of the batter.
It should be quite thick, a bit like pancake batter. You might not need anymore buttermilk, but can add extra from there if needed.
Hope this helps!
Thank you, Claire. I will be baking this weekend. Will let you know the results.
Any experience making this with Gluten free one for one flour?
This recipe is delicious! My husband loved it so much and couldn’t believe how good it was.
I did a few things different: used gluten free bread flour and added in some ground clove to the cinnamon brown sugar mixture to give the bread a little more spice/ Christmas time flavor.
This is a great recipe that was super easy to follow and didn’t really take that long to do!
confused about #3 & #4 do you put the buttermilk in with the butter and sugar, eggs and vanilla then alternate the dry and wet
It says to mix in a third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, alternating between the flour and buttermilk, ending with the flour.